Guild Fight To Save Our Streetlights

A new Guild initiative launches tomorrow to combat the Devon County Council plan to turn off ALL streetlights on non ‘A’ or ‘B’ roads between 12.30am and 5.30am.

The “SOS – Save Our Streetlights” campaign aims to challenge the Council’s claim that streetlights can only be switched off “street by street” and that individual lights cannot be turned off.

Alex Louch, Guild Campaigns Officer, described “SOS” as “the Guild’s number one priority for the year” as they perceive “a great threat to the safety of students, which [we] will not compromise.”

The campaign will at first take the form of a petition circulated to all councillors prior to the Council meeting on Thursday 29 November, before community wardens survey door to door to record the opinions of residents and students alike.

Louch stated: “Streetlights are essential to safety at night; there have been a number of
student muggings in the last weeks and the sexual assault which took place last winter was in an unlit area.”

He also claimed that the plan would “affect perceptions of safety” as it involves cutting light at a time when many students would be returning from nights out or late night library sessions – as well the impact on Exeter’s night-time workforce.

The motive behind the plan is supposedly economic, though issues regarding light pollution have apparently been raised, a reasoning that Louch damned as “an invalid argument” as “police cost to investigate incidents could rise significantly.”

Guild Vice President for Welfare and Community Grace Hopper will be heading up the campaign alongside Louch. Hopper wishes “to ensure the Council realise the importance of keeping our street lights on and how imperative this is to student safety.”

Come to the street in the Forum to sign the petition from tomorrow, or do so by contacting Grace Hopper.